ZHAW CAI Welcomes Austrian Industry Delegation on Cognitive Robotics
The ZHAW Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CAI) hosted an Austrian business delegation on Cognitive Robotics. As the final Zurich stop after ETH, ANYbotics, mimic, and ABB, the CAI welcomed around 20 industry leaders for two research presentations and a tour of its two robotics labs.
The ZHAW Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CAI) recently welcomed an Austrian business delegation on Cognitive Robotics, organised by Advantage Austria as part of a DACH “Future Journey” running from 9 to 11 June 2026. The group brought around 20 participants from 18 Austrian companies, most with a strong industrial focus, spanning sectors from automotive and energy to precision manufacturing.
The visit to ZHAW on 10 June was the delegation’s final stop in the Zurich region, which the organisers described as a “Silicon Valley of Robotics.” It followed meetings with ETH, ANYbotics, mimic robotics, and ABB, placing the CAI among the leading robotics players in Switzerland before the delegation continued to Stuttgart for the second part of its journey.
At the CAI, the delegation heard two research presentations, by Prof. Alisa Rupenyan-Vasileva and Dr. Jorge Peña Queralta. This was followed by a tour of the CAI’s two robotics laboratories, including a newly opened lab space with an expanded fleet of robots, where participants could see current research in robot learning and Physical AI up close.
The exchange centred on the questions driving the delegation: how the fusion of AI and hardware is reshaping automation, what role cognitive and humanoid robots will play in future production, and how cutting-edge research can make the leap into stable, around-the-clock industrial operation. A shared takeaway was the value of understanding what is realistically possible today, so that robotics can be deployed in practice without inflated expectations.
The visit sparked lively discussion, and several participants expressed interest in following up on potential partnerships, underlining the CAI’s role as a bridge between leading-edge research and industry. It adds to the group’s growing international engagement, alongside initiatives such as the Davos Tech Summit.